Any player who thinks his nice-guy demeanour means he will be a soft touch is in for a rude awakening...

So, the search for a new manager at Aston Villa is finally over with the appointment of Dean Smith – a self-confessed Villa supporter.

A lot will be made of the fact he is a fan but, let’s be clear about it, he has not been given the job because he stood on the Holte End as a lad, but because he has earned the opportunity.

Serving his managerial apprenticeship at Walsall and Brentford, he has built a reputation for playing entertaining, attacking football and for being competitive, despite having to sell his better players.

Aston Villa head coach Dean Smith

Having known Dean and his coach, Richard O’Kelly, for many years, I would suggest this is a decent appointment. A young English coach getting the chance to manage a big club when at one stage it looked like a foreign coach was the most likely appointment.

Dean is a very good coach but he is not a magician and will need time to get his ideas and playing philosophies across to the players.

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Any player who thinks his nice-guy demeanour means he will be a soft touch is in for a rude awakening. Every player will have to buy into his methods, standards and way of playing or risk not being a part of it.

The appointment of John Terry as his assistant was a surprise but, on reflection, it could just turn out to be a masterstroke. A lot of media attention will be on the former England and Chelsea defender, leaving Dean to get on with managing.